. >> and there is new hope tonight that lawmakers may not lead us over that fiscal cliff after all. coming up next, president obama draws a line in the sand. we'll explain his plan for averting a tax hike. >> thank you for calling. >> i team reveals why a state agency is too busy to take your calls. >>> a late afternoon meeting brings progress towards avoiding the fiscal cliff. tonight abc 7 news mark matthews has been looking into the cost governoring over the live cliff. >> remember, last year it? was part of a deal to end the debt ceiling crisis. congress agreed to steep a spending cuts going into reduce the deficit. cuts now are just around the corner. >> the president says he's optimistic but did f.a deal can not be reached he'll tell hairy reid to introduce a fall back bill. >> put a bill making sure tax on middle class families don't goup, that unemployment is available for two million people z that lays ground work for additional deficit reductions and economic growth steps we can take in the new year. >> the bill, as the president calls bare minimum isn't what many hoped fo